NITRO CIRCUS 3D IN CINEMAS AND AT THE O2: JOLENE VAN VUGT REVEALS ALL

On 28 February at the O2 in London, the Nitro Circus crew will be attempting a world record to promote their movie, Nitro Circus 3D. We spoke to Jolene Van Vugt to find out what the deal was.

So, what’s this thing happening at the O2 on the 28th?The stunt that we’re doing? To launch the Nitro Circus 3D film, we’re going to be a doing a world record attempt at the O2. We’re setting up three landers – two going one way and one the other way – and we’re going to try to get 16-20 riders in the air at the same time. It’s a world first. We’re all very excited to have it happening. And it’s being broadcast live to cinemas, launching the screening of the movie. Go and see it in the theatre if you have the opportunity, it’s so worth it on a big 3D screen to see what we worked so hard for.

It’s a good incentive to not be late to the cinema.Right, haha! Make sure you get there early, and enjoy the record attempt then enjoy the film!When stunts like this are proposed, how do you know where to draw the line between plausible and implausible?We all use our own discretion. Each member of Nitro Circus brings something different to the table – we all have different abilities and come from different athletic backgrounds. We all use our professional opinions and opinions of our own capabilities to decide whether things are possible or impossible. Stuff always gets discussed that it’s just not feasible for a human to do. The rules that we have are that if you’re going to suggest a stunt, you have to be willing to be the first person to do it. That stops people being too stupid. It makes you think before you speak.

Are there any stunts that when you first started seemed insane, but you’re now blasé about?I think we actually become a bit more timid with time. Five years ago we were younger, a little less beat-up and had seen the hospital a little less. You get wiser with age – I’ve been a part of Nitro Cicrus since 2005 and it’s been around since 2000 – and everyone’s a little wiser about what they’re going to do and how. We’ve all been injured quite a bit, and you take all your injuries with you when you go into a stunt. That said, it doesn’t stop us from pushing the envelope. Every time I think we’ve done the gnarliest thing we’re going to do, it gets exceeded. The whole crew continues to impress me.

We spoke to Travis Pastrana a while back, who said he had a thing called “Nitro Physics”, where time slows down like The Matrix…We have to have certain skills and abilities to do what we do, and all the circus members over the years have gotten their place in Nitro Circus through Travis, who’s sort of our ringleader. There’s reasons for involving everyone – it’s the physics of how we get things done, we’re all on the same page.

Is there such a thing as a normal day at the office for you?My days are all different. Generally we all live the same kind of lifestyle, but day to day anything can change. There’s a lot of travelling, and preparation depending on what’s coming up. A lot of us still do our own stuff when not involved with Nitro. Sometimes I even get to sleep in my own bed at home in Canada – laying on my couch and watching a movie is incredibly exciting for me, because I only get to do it a few times a year. I’ve become used to living out of a suitcase and being on trains, planes, cars. I say goodbye to people a lot but also get to say hello to people a lot. That’s my normal, and it makes me happy.

Being on the road with a lot of dudes, do things get incredibly unhygienic?No, the Nitro boys are all pretty good, they’re clean-cut guys. It doesn’t bother me anyway – I’ve grown up in the motocross industry so sleeping in vans or showering in power washers. I know how to rough it, I’m a lifelong tomboy.

After the movie, what’s next for Nitro Circus?We’re excited for the whole world to see the movie that we worked on for so long. It was a passion project, so we’re enjoying everyone getting to see it. We’re working very hard on our live shows, snd we’re out there performing what we like to do, and getting out there entertaining people. We’ve got a jam-packed schedule for the next year, and after that, we certainly wouldn’t turn down the idea of a second film…

Nitro Circus comes rolling, skating and exploding into the UK this November so we caught up with Wheelz to find out why it’s going to be a megafuckload of fun. Get your tickets HERE. Wrap your eyes around our interviews with Nitro Circus stars Travis Pastrana and Jolene Van Vugt.